Kratom vs Magnesium for pain & inflammation
Short answer: For pain & inflammation, users rate them about the same: 93% report improvement with Kratom (28 reports) and 91% with Magnesium (33 reports).
Kratom has 18 meta-analyses and 5 randomized trials on PubMed; Magnesium has 82 and 210.
Based on 421 reports about Kratom and 1,893 about Magnesium. Not medical advice.
| Kratom Substance | Magnesium Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| User score | 50 | 51 |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mostly positive |
| Positive of reports that state an outcome | 42% | 72% |
| Reports | 421 | 1,893 |
| Research | BResearch: Moderate | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 18 / 5 | 82 / 210 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Weight loss % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | — |
| Appetite % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | 100% (2) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 77% (31) | 77% (39) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 78% (54) | 75% (73) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 71% (7) | 87% (331) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 86% (69) | 89% (226) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 85% (97) | 80% (99) |
| Memory % reporting improvement | 0% (5) | 100% (7) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | 87% (15) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | — | 96% (24) |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 93% (28) | 91% (33) |
| Digestion % reporting improvement | 33% (9) | 83% (29) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 0% (12) | 62% (13) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 22% (9) | 91% (22) |
| Blood sugar % reporting improvement | — | 100% (3) |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | — | 95% (22) |
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | — | 100% (2) |
| Immunity % reporting improvement | — | 86% (7) |
| Longevity % reporting improvement | — | 100% (3) |
| Common side effects | withdrawal, dependence, addiction, tolerance | diarrhea, drowsiness, stomach issues, vivid dreams |
| Typical dose reported | 4 g / 2x daily | daily |
Based on our analysis, patients using <20 g of kratom/d could be initiated on opioid agonist therapy with 4/1 mg-8/2 mg buprenorphine-naloxone/d, while patients using kratom doses >40 g/d could be initiated with 12/3 mg-16/4 mg of buprenorphine-naloxone/day.
J Addict Med, 2021 ↗“Green or white Kratom powder. My productivity and overall mood have skyrocketed. I dose 4 grams once per day and it’s worked wonders.”
This review confirms that the quality of literature is substandard for physicians to make well-informed recommendations on usage of oral magnesium for older adults with insomnia. However, given that oral magnesium is very cheap and widely available, RCT evidence may support oral magnesium supplements (less than 1 g quantities given up to three times a day) for insomnia symptoms.
BMC Complement Med Ther, 2021 ↗“after supplementing with 400mg of Magnesium daily. Winter blues hit me hard and my multivitamin wasn't doing any justice, but once I began supplementing Magnesium, everything changed.”
Related comparisons
Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate